Train travel

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

My wife and I traveled on Amtrak twice this past year, to Washington D.C. and New York City. It was fascinating to perceive the landscape in a way other than from the road. There are people traveling by train you would not meet on the road as rail transport is more inclusive. These trains roll through the countryside and right through the center of our major cities. We noticed the rapid growth of invasive exotics such as knotweed swallowing up the backside of neglected bridges and framing graffiti or, as my wife clarifies, art. As you are traveling, you can get up and use the bathroom or walk back to the train car with the café in it. At one point I looked up and we were traveling over the East River, parallel to the Brooklyn Bridge, while at other points we were below grade, moving through a tunnel.


When I started this unfinished watercolor, I was struck by the range of grays and the subtle variation within this color range. There are cool grays, warm grays, and industrial grays with pings or dents included. The grays define the form, yet I find the stripes of blue and red really make the picture. Early on I detected the abstract shapes of the rail cars and saw how trains are truly moving containers. I do like how the cables and hoses dangle barely above the tracks.